KLPGA: ADT-CAPS Championship Rd 3

Second year player Ae Ri Pyun entered the final round of the KLPGA’s final event with a slim two shot lead over the top player on tour, Hee Kyung Seo. Seo was in perfect position to secure not just the money title and best scoring average on tour, but perhaps to win her league leading 5th event in 2009 and 11th in her amazing career. Would Pyun be able to stop her?

Hee Kyung Seo

Pyun had a perfectly fine round, no bogies, no birdies, for a 72. Earlier in the week, when the conditions were brutal, a score like that might have been enough to get the job done. But on Sunday, scoring seemed to be much better across the board, and Pyun would wind up third with a 2 under total.

As it turned out, two players were having fantastic days on Sunday: Hee Kyung and Jung Eun Lee 5. Between them, they had won all four Majors in 2009, Lee winning the one Major that escaped Seo’s grasp, the Shinsegae KLPGA Championship. Lee started the day at 2 over, but birdies on three of her first four holes moved her quickly to 1 under. She made two more birdies and a bogey to close the front nine at 2 under, tied with Pyun for the lead.

Jung Eun Lee 5

Seo started with pars, but when she caught fire, she did so in a major way. She birdied 8 and made eagle 2 on the par 4 9th to move to 3 under and the lead. Lee birdied 10 to join Seo at 3 under. The tense battle continued for a few more holes.

Hee Kyung Seo

Then the KLPGA’s Major Queen did what she does so well: put the hammer down. She made three straight birdies from holes 13-15 to zoom to 6 under total. Lee, meanwhile, bogied 15 to fall to 2 under. Suddenly, Seo had a four shot lead. As you can imagine, the rest was just a formality, and shortly thereafter, Hee Kyung Seo was again the ADT-CAPS champion.

Hee Kyung does it again!

Hee Kyung Seo’s 2009 season was a fabulous piece of work. She collected five wins, including three Majors, won Player of the Year, the scoring title, and the money list. She won coming from behind repeatedly, and almost deserves the nickname ‘Final Round Queen’ as much as Jiyai Shin herself. Congratulations to her on her amazing achievements, and good luck to her in whatever she decides to pursue next year and beyond!